Lo sviluppo identitario degli adolescenti sordi segnanti. Uno studio esplorativo

The aim of the present investigation is to explore the influence of deafness condition on the identity development of 10 deaf adolescents who use Italian Sign Language as their elective mode of communication. During the administration of 10 semi-structured interviews, the following areas were explored: the telling of oneʼs life story, self-image, fantasies about the future, and perceptions of prejudice about deafness. The content analysis made it possible to define the identity profile of each subject. The participants could then be clustered into three different typological groups according to the way they narrated themselves and imagined their future. The results indicate how the use of sign language as a prevalent or exclusive communicative mode is associated in contrasting terms with identity development: on the one hand, it appears to be a resource, in that it constitutes an enhancement of the deaf condition but, at the same time, represents a limitation to the development of social relationships. Moderating elements of this association appear to be the type of school attended and the presence of other deaf individuals in the family.